Is there anything better on a hot summer day than sitting under the porch or veranda and sipping on a cold iced tea?
Move over Mr Lipton, this iced tea recipe is surprisingly delicious, and will rouse you from your heat-induced drowsiness and help you beat the heat like no other beverage.
The secret to its delicious taste, apart from using our fine quality Delisse tea bags, is to cold-brew this icy delight.
This iced tea recipe confers all of the benefits of our beloved health tea: it’s an energy pick-me-up, mild pain reliever, mood brightener and mental simulator. Yep, it’s all these and more – your medicine never tasted so good!
Better-tasting than store-bought iced tea, and more energy than any energy drink, combined!
Ingredients:
200ml of filtered or still natural mineral water, at room temperature
1 or 2 Delisse tea bags per 200ml water, plus “one or two for the pot”.
- 2 tea bags per cup adds more “oomph” and flavour 🙂
1 teaspoon of raw sugar per 200ml serve (or equivalent desired sweetener).
- Sugar works best if pre-dissolved in a small amount of boiling water.
Fresh lemons or limes to juice and for optional garnish.
Some fresh mint leaves for flavour and colour (optional).
Method:
Measure out the desired amount of water into a jug.
Place the Delisse tea bags in the water, and gently press on them with the back of a spoon to thoroughly soak them.
Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Longer is better – we get great results from soaking the tea bags for 40 minutes to one hour, occasionally stirring and pressing on the bags with a spoon.
You’ll notice the colour of the infusion will turn into deeper shades of caramel-brown the longer you soak and the more you press on the bags.
When it won’t get any darker, it’s time to sweeten your brew.
Pour in your pre-dissolved sugar syrup, or alternative sweetener and stir to mix thoroughly.
Refrigerate till icy cold, if you can wait long enough! If you can’t, you can always add ice 🙂
When ready to serve, squeeze in some fresh lemon juice to taste. Add a little at a time, stir and taste until you get just the right zing for your taste buds.
Top with ice, and garnish with a lemon/lime wedge and mint sprig if desired.
Enjoy! But don’t expect to relax for too long, the energy-giving nature of this tea may make you want to mow the lawn in full summer sun, do some gardening, painting or other activity!